Test panel printer



Aug. 16, 1966 F. NOVEKOFF 3,266,305

TEST PANEL PRI NTER Filed Feb. 15, 1964 INVENTOR.

FRED NOVEKOFF United States Patent 3,266,305 TEST PANEL PRINTER Fred Novekptf, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Feb. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 344,792 6 Claims. (Cl. 73150) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalties thereon.

The present invention relates to a panel printer and more particularly to apparatus for conducting tests on panels to determine the effectiveness of corrosion preventive materials applied thereto.

In the field of corrosion prevention, the effectiveness of coating materials is determined by subjecting coated panels to various tests. One such test is a handling test which involves the application of a synthetic fingerprint to a panel coated with corrosion preventive material and then exposing the panel to corrosion promoting mediums to ascertain the extent of corrosion. The application of the fingerprint is accomplished by manually placing a weighted stopper on the coated panel. However, this procedure is not conducive to uniform results. Manually printing the panel is objectionable because the person performing the test not only incorporates the weight of his hand, but also in placing the weighted stopper upon the panel and removing it therefrom, sliding or canting of the stopper occurs, producing nonuniform results, by reason of the fact that the coating or film on the test panel is broken or damaged to an extent that early corrosion is effected at the damaged area.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for testing corrosion preventive materials which will overcome the above mentioned disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide testing apparatus for corrosion preventive materials which will produce uniform conditions thereby improving the effectiveness of the test results.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a panel printer for testing corrosion preventive materials which will eliminate errors due to human factors.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is universally applicable to the testing coating materials applied to sample test panels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide test apparatus which is simple in construction, easy to operate and highly efficient in use.

In accordance with the present invention, the panel printer comprises a vertically movable frame which carries a weighted rubber stopper. The frame is arranged for movement in a manner to place the stopper upon a treated panel placed beneath the stopper. The arrangement permits release of the stopper from influence of the frame once the stopper is placed upon the panel so that the stopper rests on the panel entirely free. The stopper is removed again by releasing the frame thereby permitting the frame to return to a position removed from and above the panel, through action of the coil spring 27.

The novel features of the present invention, as well as additional features and advantages thereof, will be understood better from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the panel printer in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 are side views of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1, but showing an applicator carried by the annular holder, the respective views illustrating placement of the applicator upon a test panel.

3,266,305 Patented August 16, 1966 Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters have been used to designate corresponding parts throughout, the panel printer 1 of the present invention comprises a frame 3 carried by a support 5 and guide rods 7.

The support 5 includes a table surface 9 providing a horizontal surface for receiving a coated test panel 11. Suitable stops 13 are provided on the table surface for uniform and proper orientation of the test panels 11. The pair of upright guide rods 7 are mounted on the table surface in spaced apart, parallel relation to each other. The rods 7 are held together at their upper extremities by a cross member 15 attached by any suitable means.

The frame 3 comprises a pair of rigid sleeve members 17, 19 securely fastened together in parallel, spaced apart relation to each other by suitable upper and lower spacing members 21 attached to the ends of the sleeve members. The spacing of the sleeve members is controlled by the spacing of the upright guide rods '7 which receive the sleeve members for slidable movement along their lengths. Adjacent to the bottom of the frame, an annular holder 23 or extension for receiving an applicator 25 is attached to the sleeve member 19 so as to extend laterally therefrom in parallel relation to the table surface 9. A coil spring 27 is connected between the upper cross member 15 and the upper spacing member 21 which functions to support the frame 3 normally in a raised position removed from the table surface or a test panel placed upon the table surface,

in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings.

The applicator 25 comprises a rubber stopper 29 weighted with a one kilogram weight 31. The small, exposed end 33 of the stopper is prepared in accordance with specifications covering the particular tests being conducted upon the test panels. In this particular case, where a synthetic fingerprint is applied to a coated panel to ascertain the corrosion inhibiting properties, the stopper exposed end is roughened with an abrasive and thoroughly cleaned. The roughened end is placed upon a gauze pad containing fingerprint solution and then the applicator is carefully placed upon the annular holder 23 with the rubber stopper extending downwardly through the opening, in the manner shown in FIGURE 2.

The synthetic fingerprint on the roughened end of the stopper is transferred to a test panel which has been coated with a protective material. The test panel is placed upon the table surface in abutment with the stops, the coated surface extending upwardly. The operator moves the frame 3 downwardly against the resistance of the coil spring 27 until the applicator is brought to rest on the test panel, the position shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. The operator continues downward movement of the frame in order to release the applicator permitting it to rest freely upon the test panel, in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing. Removal of the applicator is accomplished by allowing the frame 3 to be raised by the spring until it again engages the applicator for continued upward movement to the removed position shown in FIGURE 2. Thus, the applicator accomplishes not only uniformly placing of the applicator upon the test panel, but also uniform removal of the applicator from the test panel, thereby eliminating objectionable results effected from manual application. After the test panel is printed, it is then subjected to the particular tests for which it was prepared.

Although there has been shown and described a single, preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be come apparent to those persons skilled in the art that other embodiments thereof are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the annular holder 23 might be advantageously substituted with a bifurcated frame. Therefore, it is desired that the particular form of the invention presented herein be considered as illustrative and not as limiting.

What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for applying a synthetic fingerprint upon a coated panel comprising a frame supported for vertical movement between an upper position, a release position, and a lower position, said release position being interjacent said upper position and said lower position, and an applicator, said applicator being freely carried on said frame between said upper position and said release position and being freely disposed upon said panel and released from said frame in response to movement of said frame between said release position and said lower position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said applicator comprises a mass having flexible means at one end thereof, said applicator being disposed on said frame with said flexible means directed toward said panel.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said frame includes an extension disposed in a plane parallel to said panel, said applicator mass being disposed upon said extension with said flexible means extending downwardly beneath said extension.

4. Apparatus for placing a weighted mass upon a treated test panel comprising a support, and a frame slidably carried on said support for movement respectively between an upper position, a release position, and a lower position,

said frame including means for receiving and carrying said weighted mass between said upper position and said release position, said means being releasable from said weighted mass in response to movement of said frame between said release position and said lower position.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said support includes means for receiving a test panel beneath a weighted mass carried by said frame, said receiving means being disposed at a distance from said release position whereby said weighted mass Will be deposited upon said test panel in response to movement of said frame to said release position.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 and wherein resilient means is connected between said support and said frame, said resilient means being disposed to normally bias said frame to said upper position.

References Cited by the Examiner Great Britain Ministry of Supply Aeronautical Inspection Directorate, AID report on mechanical thumb hard drying time Tester for Paints, 1952.

DAVID SCHONBERG, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Examiner.

MICHAEL B. HEPPS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A SYNTHETIC FINGERPRINT UPON A COATED PANEL COMPRISING A FRAME SUPPORTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN UPPER POSITION, A RELEASE POSITION, AND A LOWER POSITION, SAID RELEASE POSITION BEING INTERJACENT SAID UPPER POSITION AND SAID LOWER POSITION, AND AN APPLICATOR, SAID APPLICATOR BEING FREELY CARRIED ON SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID UPPER POSITION AND SAID RELEASE POSITION AND BEING FREELY DISPOSED UPON SAID PANEL AND RELEASED FROM SAID FRAME IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID FRAME BETWEEN SAID RELEASE POSITION AND SAID LOWER POSITION. 